Grad Cords Spark Debate on Individual Versus Group Recognition

When graduation comes around each year, many Buffalo High School students are allowed to display only three school-approved  graduation cords. The only cords Buffalo grads can receive are for joining the military after high school, having participated in AVID, and having a cumulative 3.67 GPA or higher by the time of graduation. 

Other schools offer students the opportunity to wear cords for a variety of other societies, clubs, or groups. Some students at BHS have expressed that they believe varsity sports and other extracurricular activities also deserve cords due to the amount of effort put into these extra activities. Most notably, members of Tri-M and NHS have wondered why they can’t wear cords that are specific to their groups.

“We honor those students in a lot of other ways,” said Assistant Principal Ed Cox. 

Cox said that new cords “…would have to be school board approved.”

Last year, there was a proposal to include a Tri-M cord, but the initiative stalled due to a lack of support from the school board. Cords were handed out to students for Tri-M ceremonies and honors but were forbidden from the graduation ceremony.

Since the decision on whether graduates receive more cords is up to the district, it’s unlikely that there will be a change before the class of 2025 graduates on Friday.  Cox said that, at graduation, the intention is that the class is seen as a whole, celebrating together, not focusing on individual achievements. This is why decorating caps isn’t allowed, and the reason for a lack of more graduation cords.